Ranchi, Nov 6 (PTI) Tribal activist Nisha Kumari Bhagat allegedly died by suicide in Ranchi on Friday after going live on Facebook, accusing the state's Hemant Soren government and land brokers of harassing her, police said.
The opposition BJP demanded a CBI inquiry into the activist's death and the resignation of the chief minister, while Soren's ally CPI(ML) Liberation sought a fair probe.
The Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) refused to comment on the incident.
In the purported live video, available on her Facebook profile, Bhagat is seen crying and alleging that anyone who raised their voice against "Hemant Soren government and its land brokers meant inviting death".
"I should have understood this earlier... People say there is BJP, there is Congress, but there is no one... My parents will be deeply hurt. My father played his role in the Jharkhand agitation. I tried very hard to fight the administration and also tried to talk to them about security... But today I have to embrace my own death because this Hemant Soren government can humiliate women, and I cannot bear this," she said in the video.
The nearly 11-minute video abruptly cuts off, with the camera appearing to be obstructed by a green object.
SP (Ranchi City) Paras Rana told PTI that Bhagat's body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at her residence in Pithoria.
The body has been sent to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for post-mortem examination, he added.
"Prima facie, it appears that she died by suicide after going live on social media. The exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained," another police officer said, adding that a detailed investigation had been initiated.
A BJP delegation, led by the party's state president Aditya Sahu, visited RIMS where they met the bereaved family.
Sahu alleged that Bhagat had been facing threats for raising her voice against religious conversion and land brokers.
"Nisha had been raising her voice strongly against conversion and land brokers. Due to her continuous struggle on these issues, she was on the radar of such elements. We demand an impartial inquiry by a central agency to ascertain the circumstances that led her to take such a drastic step," he said.
When contacted, JMM's central general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said, "I will not comment on this issue right now."
Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi described Bhagat as a young tribal leader who fought for the rights of her community.
"She held Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the Pithoria police station in-charge, and Ajay Tirkey responsible for this," he said in a social media post.
He described it as "shameful and unfortunate" that a young woman who raised her voice for tribal rights was allegedly harassed to such an extent that she took her own life.
"Chief Minister Hemant Soren should immediately resign from his post," he added.
Former chief minister Champai Soren described Bhagat's death as an irreparable loss to the tribal community.
Former chief minister Raghubar Das alleged that the state government was protecting land brokers.
The CPI(ML) Liberation, an ally of JMM, expressed grief over Bhagat's death and demanded an impartial, high-level probe into the incident.
"The untimely demise of a tribal leader is heart-wrenching. The truth of the matter must surface, and the bereaved family should get justice," the party's state secretary, Manoj Bhakat, said.
He urged the state government to take the incident seriously and ensure an impartial investigation.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)